A Rolex Daytona Has a Key Cameo in the New ‘Beverly Hills Cop’

Legacy film sequels can be tough to pull off. They’re usually over-reliant on nostalgic references and struggle to capture the magic of their often superior predecessors decades later in a changed cultural landscape.

Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the fourth installment in the iconic 1980s action-comedy franchise and the first in 30 years, manages to largely avoid these pitfalls to craft an entertaining and worthy sequel that’s able to balance its nostalgia with modern movie tastes in a way that doesn’t feel hamfisted.

When I watched the latest Beverly Hills Cop movie over the July 4 holiday, two things surprised me. First was how much I enjoyed it as a fan of the original. Second was the important role watches played in representing the characters of the film.

Movie spoilers to follow.

The Daytona As a Symbol of Corruption

In the film, Axel Foley travels from his home city of Detroit back to Beverly Hills where he teams with his estranged daughter, a criminal defense lawyer, in investigating the death of a cop.

Their suspicion is that crooked Beverly Hills cops tied to a Mexican drug cartel were involved in the slaying, and their suspicions lead them to Captain Grant of the Beverly Hills PD, portrayed by franchise newcomer Kevin Bacon.

In a pivotal scene at the end of the first act, the father-daughter team confront Grant at an upscale private club, where the police captain’s choice of wristwatch confirms Axel’s suspicions about his corruption.

During the scene, Grant complains to Foley that cops don’t get enough recognition or respect.

“We put our lives on the line every day. It’s a war out there. We deserve more,” Grant says.

“Like that Rolex you got on,” Foley replies.

Grant smiles and proudly flashes his watch.

“Gold Daytona,” he says. “Isn’t she a beauty?”

Netflix

In the next scene, Foley brings up the Daytona as proof of Grant’s corruption:

“$1,000 shoes, Rolex watch… Come on now, I’ve seen crooked cops before but this guy is f—king next level.”

We don’t get a great look at Grant’s Rolex in the scene, but he says himself it’s a gold Daytona, which narrows down which exact model it could be. I can also tell from the scene that the watch’s bezel is gold rather than ceramic, it has a dark-colored dial with gold subdials, and it’s on a gold oyster bracelet.

My best guess is the watch is a yellow gold Daytona reference 126508, which is part of Rolex’s current catalog and has an SRP of $41,200. But like many new Rolex models, the watch’s secondary market value is even higher, often exceeding $50,000 — pretty pricey for a cop.

Rolex

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126508

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Rolex Cal. 4131 automatic chronograph
Water Resistance	100m

• $41,200 at Rolex

An Everyman Watch for Foley

While the Daytona is the only watch that’s mentioned by name in the film, it’s not the only timepiece to appear and shed light on who these characters really are.

Axel Foley also wears a watch throughout the movie, and just as Grant’s expensive Rolex provides a visual representation of his corruption, Foley’s watch clues the viewer into the character’s loyalty, honesty and blue-collar roots.

Netflix

Being an old-school cop from Detroit, Foley wears The Duck from Shinola in the black colorway. A 42mm quartz-powered dive watch rated to 200m, The Duck is a practical sporty watch for a police officer, and it’s plenty affordable at just $650.

The fact that the watch is a Shinola and is built in Foley’s hometown of Detroit is yet another reason why the Duck is a perfect choice for our hero.

Shinola

Shinola The Duck

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Argonite Cal. 713 quartz
Water Resistance	200m

• $650 at Jared

I really enjoyed the movie’s use of watches — both subtly and overtly —to showcase its characters’ true intentions. It proves how you can tell a lot about a person based on the watch they wear, and it shows the impressive amount of attention to detail that went into making the film.

Whether you’re into watches or not, I’d recommend checking out Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix. And if you are a watch enthusiast, now you have even more reason to tune in.

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